The Cecil Whig., 1887-12-10


| though this shows considerable pro-
ercss on the part Of our managers
towards catering to the desire of the
multitude for amusement, yet the fact
of being able to drive a little Delaware
scrub around halt-mile track in four
minutes, don't 90 very far towards de
monstratlng the ability of that quadruped
to draw into capscions barn the con
tents of a Cecil county harvest field.
SO with the bicycle. These youths
who are in constant training upon their
frail looking vehicles, may make ever
so creditablc display of their skill, and
aCquit themselves to the admiration of
the crowd, but after all it is not the
kind of a Sick.le that should have a
place amongst farmers tools and be
the proficiency in handling it ever so
great, little assistance in securing a
crop Of wheat can be looked for from
that quarter.
And with the tournament we have a
like useless display of training. A man
may by constant practice bring himself
to such state of perfection as to carry
of 90 rings in 100, and yet be no
better qualified to drive up herd of
milk COWS than an ordinary farmers
boy.
Then we had grand exhibition of
skill ard strength by the foremost
athletes Of the world. This was a de-
clded inuovation, and to Cecil will be-
long the distraction of having presented
for the fist ,me an entertainment of
this kind to the farming public. Add
tonal interest will attach to this per-
fOrmance, from the fact that one of the
chief participants, whose record for
heavy hammer throwing has never
been equaled, is native of our own
county.
Those who are prone to triticisc,
may question the propriety of dis
play of this character, and may fail to
see any connection between athletics
and husbandry, and therefore condemn
the display as useless because of a
total dissmiarity between the cultiva.
tion of muscle and the cultivation of
cabbagc,.
The same course Of reasoning would
deprive US of the pleasure OF seeing
nearly all the great fashionable attrac-
tons. Allow these over-zealous grum-
bier, to have their way, and We would
not be allowed to witness those grand
and imposing chariot races, those real,
practical exhibitions. by which the ri,-
ing, and even the risen generation, are
enabled to form true conception of
the real character of the ancient
Romans. Who doubts that the farm
ing community can learn more of this
ancient people in this way, in one hour,
than they could in years through the
tedious and uncertain process of read
ing2 Verify, "seeing is believing
Nor would we have had the Indians
with US few years ago, and yet those
simple red men gave us the first insight
we ever had into the method Of con-
ducting an Indian wedding. They
showed us from beginning to end, the
ceremony used in joining in the holy
bond. Of wedlock the noble redskinned
warrior and the gentle dusky maiden.
They showed us also the process of
mixing their medicines, and the man
ner OF handling the deadly bow-actu-
ally sending one arrow as high as the
top of an apple tree! They failed,
however. to give us specimen of their
dancing, and this is not to be wandered
at, because this is an art in which they
are left far behind. They couldn't hold
a candle to our boys and girls If you
will recur to our Country's infancy, it is
more than probable that the only known
style of tripping the light fantastic toe
was the stag dances of these Aborigines,
and this was confined to the braves,
the poor squaws contenting themselves
with looking on admiringly from a
distance. Happily we have divested
ourselves of this prejudice against ad-
mtting the fair sex into cnjoyments and
pleasures, and whether it be owing to
the efforts Of the strong minded women,
or whether to the inherent magnanimity
of mans nature, we will not stop to
inqure-but certain it is that complete
revolution has taken place in this re-
gard-for now, instead of keeping
lovely woman IN subsection and in the
background, as was formerly the case,
isolated as it were from all sport, mere
lockers on-magnanimous man, wher
he now enters ball room, opens wide
his arms, and bids her enter-nay,
takes her to his bosom. This is GER
tainly a great improvement over the
old style. 1t begets a greater degree
Of sociabiity and familiarity. and leads
to more intimate acquaintance. 1t
| breaks down that false barrier to per-
feet equality which our old grand
mothers thought SO essential to woman's
selfrespect.
Why have then, it may be asked,
these diversified displays at our fairs?
Why not adhere to the line of conduct
ing them as laid down by their pro-
jectors? Simply because the old legi-
innate plan will not pay. 1t requires
| money to buy ground-crcct buildings,
and keep up respectable exhibition,
and the only way to get the money IS
to charge fee for admission, and the
| Daonl> uiIl NOT attend without these